Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1887-12-28

CARING AID SUFFERING.
History Of tho Andrews Railroad
Raid Into Georgia in 1862.

fore US, hot HIflcD inferior 10 any tDat we
had passed; We long beld our lives by the
frailest thread; yet t II the close Of the
war, though many persisted around us,
death did not claim auother victim from
our midst. We committed ourselves TO
the Lord, not expecting deliverance in
this world: and in his boundless mercy
he bestowed upon us all we asked, and tar
more than we had dared to hope.
Few things In our whole prison expert
ence were more fearful than awakening
the next morning The chill light Of
new day-.hc dispeliin2 OF dreams that
may have been very pleasant, and have
brought home wildly before us--always
made the morning hour tie mos, dreary
Of the day. But On this occasion we
looked around aud saw the places Of our
friends vacant, and all the great sorrow
Of our bereavement again rolled over US
like the incoming u tile sea.
But we wished to do something. A
small Bible was borrowed from Mr. Tur-
ner when be came to bring our scanty
breakfast-Mr Thoer, who was always
with him To see that he gave us no undue
Indulgence, did not ohject--and then We
had reading. singing and prayer-nearly
every one praying. 80 that it might rather
be called morning prayer meeting than
family worship" though the latter WAS
the title used We now resolved TO con-
tinue this practice as long as our prison
life lasted.
From this time forward we had relig
ious exercises morning and evening, and
found them "A great consolation and sup
port. They began and closed the day
Alright and thus added sweetness to all its
hours, supplying subject or thought not
bearing directly upon our own gloomy
prospects, and thus enabling us to main
tain better mental health. We always
sung hymn or two on these occasions.
Indeed there was nearly MS much singing
a. at Chattanooga, but OF a far different
and more inspiring character. Instead Of
"NetNe More, Carrier Dove and such
harmless sentimentality, we sang Rock
OF Ages" Jesus, Lover OF My Soul"
and others OF a pronounced spiritual cast
This greatly astonished the guards. They
were given strict charge to watch us
closely with the statement that we were
the most desperate characters in the whole
United States; then to hear us sing Meth
odist hymns, and to know that we had
prayers, morning and evening, was con
tradiction they found 1t hard to reconcile
Soon the story OF the heroic death Of our
comrades and our own religious bearing
was nosed about Atlanta and no doubt
there were many expressions which gave
some ground for the bitter complaint Of
sympathy" made afterward by the pro-
vost marshal in his report. But We cared
comparatively little for this, of which, In
deed, we then knew nothing. We had
never expected to receive much help from
the people outside, and would not have
dared, for fear OF treachery, to accept it If
offered. But we wished to find that
pence in believing that we had heard Of
Christians possessing, What would we
not now have given for the counsels and
assistance Of u minister we could fully
trust!
1t Is n delicate matter to speak of the
beginning Of ones own religious life--to
say neither too much nor too little; but in
the hope Of guiding some other who is
feeling after the truth, | will venture,
using tl2 light that twenty-five years
have thrown back Oh those early days.
After the terrible 18th OF June | am
not conscious Of any experience of re-
lissious character for several days, EXCEPT
profound and burning conviction that it
Is folly to wait for death before trying to
he right with God. | might he sinful or
y,
business of life may safely be left 60 the
Inst could influence Inc no morel Just
how to he religious was puzzle. knew
il had a command to execute from an
afss!S officer would'do it, if in my power,
I'm matter how difficult or dangerous; and
! wished intensely that it was just MS easy
to be religious as to be a soldier. But
there was the question of right feelings
aud right motives that did not seem to
come into play very much in the army;
for II n soldier did his duty, he was not
upt to lie asked how he felt about it; | had
the belief that | must have joy and rap
turc In thinking of death, readiness to
, shout God praises which | did not feel;
and for time it seeme,. rs IL could never
reach genuine conversion. | diligently
read the Bible which we had borrowed
but while | enjoyed many things in it,
little direct guidance for me was found.
| asked counsel of Capt. Fry, for whom
| had the greatest esteem and respect
But ii was so easy for him to believe that
| thought his case must be very unlike my
own. | also spoke to !. X. Porter. the
only one OF our number who had clear
religious faith. and seemed to be happy in
1t Ills first answer was very striking. /
asked how he felt about death He thought
that referred to our worldly prospects,
and answered that probably we would
soon all be put to death But what is
yoar feeling about death itself'' con-
tinucd He said:
II nm not afraid to die, il it is Gods
win; | trust him now, mud | expect to
trust him to the last" He took my hand,
and there was a steady light In his eye
that made me believe every word he said
But when asked him how he got such
fifth he could only tell me that he went TO
n Methodist "mourners' bench" two years
before and sought till he found it. This
did me no good, for there was no such
place accessible here.
In sore perplexity read the bible from
day to day and prayed, taking my turn in
praying aloud and reading with the
others. At length thought l began to
see that trusting Christ meant something
like taking his words and teachings for
my guide. trying to do all that he COM
mlnds, and leaving the result, while | did
this, with him. This was not that sud
iea transformation that had hoped but
soon found that it opened up n good many
things that | had never dreamed of, One
Of these seemed especially strange under
the circumstances. had yet but a slender
hVllt w tNtt c>sopihS tttii tiic Ptisbh IA
cept by the way of the scaffold But in
spite Of the dark prospect the question
came AS an absolute test Of my obedience
"Niil you, if satisfied that it is Gods
will. be ready to give up the profession Of
law il YOU ever get home and 60 into the
ministry" The first and spontaneous re-
ply was, Nor had studied law and
meant to practice it IL ever got where
law rcIgi,cd Int at once the self re-
sponse WIS clear. what kind Of
obedience is thiss'' saw that
was not sincere in proposing to enlist
under Christ rs my captain, Unless
would really obey him. 1t would lie q
POOR allegiance that stopped short with
the things wanted to do, For long
time | could not pass this point. The
difficulty wien communicated to my
prison companions seemed utterly absurd
Try to serve God in the prison, where
you are, they ssiid with rough plausi.
biiity, End doa't bother about preaching,
being lawyer, or anything else, when
you get out, for you never will get out"